Guardian Letters: Fawcett Society on Date Rape Drugs

In today's Guardian The Fawcett Society's Jon Collins has a letter published:

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is right to be concerned about the seriousness of drug-facilitated sexual assault (New evidence on date rape prompts call for drugs ban, April 3). However, by focusing on the behaviour of the victim when giving suggestions on how risk can be reduced, for example in advising women not to go out alone, we risk missing the bigger picture. The focus of prevention work must be on changing the behaviour of perpetrators of sexual assault, not its victims. Women should be safe to go to clubs, pubs or parties without being at risk of sexual assault - anything else will be an admission of failure.
Jon Collins
Senior policy officer, Fawcett Society

There have recently been a number of faux jury programmes on telly. Contrived but engaging. Lord Archer was among the jurors on the latest.

The possible maverick parliamentary candidate Rosie Boycott was required to review this and stated on Newsnight review :

"Archer could not even be on a jury as a convicted felon". And she went on "We've reached the point in Britain where rape is a virtually unpunishable crime". And Spare Rib founder Rosie added that get taken to court and, given the statistics, you'd need to have done 20 rapes to get one conviction.

Archer is still in the Lords after perjury over a sexual liaison. The working class muslim boxer Prince Naseem meanwhile following dangerous driving ... is stripped of his MBE.

Thousands walk free from rape every day. I would say that the exact same number have this brutal invasion - still permitted by our system - to live with. But in fact walk free rapists and date rapists are very often serial offenders. And powerful men in respectable positions are perpetrators as well as smirking lads.

FOOTNOTE: One woman I know in Chorlton, Manchester has every reason to support the Fawcett Society's letter.

A year or two ago, after industrial drinking over many hours, she got a lift with friends to the end of her road. Then - just 300 metres from home but basically legless - she took a taxi with someone she trusted. She then allowed them to stay in a spare bed. Then she took a prescription drug to help her sleep. This allegedly became a self-administered date rape drug.

There was a complaint, forensic samples were taken and an investigation lasted for months. But it led to nothing. Greater Manchester Police even denied - to journalists - that they had interviewed the alleged perpetrator though he and a good friend did have a good old chat with a Detective Constable. After which - all dropped.

The conviction rate on rape is abyssmal. And the way powerful men conspire to avoid a brother's interview, never mind charging or conviction is a travesty.